Death May Not be so Easily Fooled
by Anonymity is crucial
Summary: Takes place during Under the Radar. Neal shoots Adler, not Peter, but Adler shoots Neal as well. The warehouse explodes once again and Neal gets trapped in the burning rubble. "He has conned his way out of many things, but death may not be so easily fooled." I suck at summaries, so bare with me here. Hopefully you like it and read the bold, it's important.


**So I am back and with a different story. I have yet to finish my other ones...Sorry to all of you guys who have been waiting and waiting for me to update, I have been busy and I have been kind of blanking with where to take them so I'm taking a break from them and hopefully I will eventually finish them. I have some chapters that are a WIP, but most of the time I just write when I feel like it. Anyways, this is my take on what may have happened if Peter had been just a few seconds too late and I kind of, may have, sort of changed one tensy little detail. Heh heh heh…*maniacal laugh* It may just end up being a one-shot or I could add another chapter or two, who knows. Onto the story!**

(Peter's POV, just not first person)

"Neal," Peter shouted as he ran towards the warehouse. The smoke was billowing out and it didn't look good. If Neal was in there when it exploded...Peter ran fast and he left the others in his dust. When he reached the warehouse he heard voices.

"Goodbye Neal," Adler said and Peter shot around the corner and quickly pulled his gun. There was a bang and smoke, more than what was billowing out of the warehouse. Peter heard the thud of a body and saw Adler fall to the ground. Peter was having trouble seeing because of the smoke pouring out of the burning warehouse. He coughed and moved forward. Peter heard the other agents growing closer and Peter couldn't believe his eyes.

(Neal's POV, again not in first person)

"Goodbye Neal," Adler said to him. He knew that he was going to be dead in a matter of moments and then remembered that he had brought a pistol in case he found Adler and Peter wasn't around. He wiped it out and fired. He heard a simultaneous bang and Adler's eyes grew wide as he looked down to the front of his jacket where red was seeping through. In Neal's hand he held the smoking pistol. He had just shot the man who stole all of his money when he was still working for him, the man who had stolen Kate, the man who had almost killed Mozzie, the man who kidnapped him, Peter and Alex to make them open the U-boat to get the treasure and the man who had tried to kill him by drowning him and, just recently, almost shot him. But Neal had shot first, or he thought so. Behind Adler stood a very surprised looking Peter as he walked toward him. Neal took a few steps back and dropped the pistol.

"What did I just do," Neal said to himself. His eyes widened with realization and he held his hands up and looked at them like they acted on their own accord. "No no no no nonononono," Neal mumbled and put his hands on his head as he turned away from Peter.

(General POV I guess…)

"Neal," Peter said. His CI and friend looked horrified. Neal was not a violent criminal or person. He used words to settle things not guns so seeing Neal kill Adler was surprising and quite shocking.

"Peter no, I didn't mean, I mean I did, but not, I...I...I," Neal stammered before glancing back around at Peter who was close enough to put a hand on Neal's shoulder. Neal was still trying to compensate what had just happened when the warehouse blew again. The explosion spread more fiery debris around. Peter stepped back as a larger beam fell in between him and Neal. The flames grew and Peter could just see Neal. He was staggering back when more debris fell. He could no longer see Neal.

"Neal! Neal," Peter shouted. He got no answer and had to get back to his team. Peter turned and hurried back toward the team. The firetrucks were on route.

(Neal's POV) (When I say Neal's POV or Peter's POV I mean it's centric around them not that it's in first person, it stays third person)

Neal coughed and covered his mouth with his sleeve. He had backed up when another piece of debris had fallen in front of him and blocked his view from Peter. He fell backwards. He tried to stand, but his leg was stuck. He tugged furiously at it and continued coughing. Smoke inhalation was never good. "Peter," Neal called as loud as he could, but regretted it almost immediately because his throat burned. He brought both hands down and tugged at his leg, but almost blacked out in pain. He leg was wedged under a large beam, a flaming one at that.

Fire surrounded him. He could barely breathe and Peter was no where to be seen. Neal had laid back after he grew weaker from lack of oxygen. He was coughing almost constantly and could not get a good breath of air. His ears were ringing from the initial explosion from being so close. He was still in shock from killing Adler and the world started to spin. Neal put a hand on his head and looked down to his trapped leg. The beam had quit burning a minute ago, but it was still a heavy beam and his leg was lodged under pretty good. He tried to sit up again, but fell back. Neal coughed and hacked. He put a hand to his chest and pulled it away. Blood, his hand was covered with blood. He looked at his chest weakly and saw his shirt was stained with it. He undid the buttons and saw what had happened. It seems that Adler had gotten a shot off and it hit his target. Neal hadn't noticed it initially because of the events that occurred. Adler being killed, the warehouse exploding for a second time, Peter coming towards him, the beam falling on him, everything. He just now noticed.

The wound was still sluggishly bleeding. He put a shaking hand to his wound and left it there. A wave of cruel pain hit him and black spots dotted his vision. Neal shuddered and his wound, which seemed to have started to heal, began bleeding heavily again. "P'tr," Neal called weakly. His time was running low. Neal felt cold despite the fire. He shivered and knew he was going into shock. He tried to stay awake for longer, but sleep was really being a tempting mistress. Neal set his head down on the ground and he was mouthing words, but nothing came out. The black rim around his vision grew and Neal let his head loll to the side and his eyes shut. He swore he could hear faint voices calling his name, but sleep was too great of a need right now. "Not now...need sl'p," Neal slurred. It was painful to talk and doing so caused another coughing fit which briefly cleared the black, but made the gunshot wound gush blood. Neal fell back and shut the world out. Darkness swarmed him and he left it surround him. He surrendered to it and thought how similar it was to when Peter first caught him. Neal smiled weakly, coughed and stopped moving. His face relaxed and his smile faded. His hand still clutching at the wound, before it too fell limply to the ground.

Neal had no clue how close help was and thought they wouldn't mind him napping for a few minutes. Around him the fire burned on drowsily. Neal was dead to the world. The only sign he was still alive was a very faint rise and fall of his chest.

(Peter's POV)

"Neal! Can you hear me! Neal," Peter called urgently into the smoldering debris. The firetrucks were close and he could hear the sirens loud and clear. Peter was worried though. Neal wasn't responding at all. The fire showed no signs of quitting on it's own.

"Peter, the trucks are three minutes out," Diana told her boss with a comforting hand on his shoulder. Him and Neal had gotten to be close friends and Diana and Jones had gotten to be close friends with Caffery too. She didn't want to lose him either.

"Diana," Peter said softly as he turned to face her. "Neal shot Adler, but Adler also got a shot off. I pulled my gun as the shots went off. Adler fell, but Neal stood shocked and he began to trudge off. I was going to get him when this happened," Peter said gesturing to the warehouse. Diana looked frightened.

"Wait you said Adler shot too. You were behind him though right? How…"

"I heard the shots and saw Adler fall, but I then looked to Neal…," Peter trailed off and Diana's hand flew to her mouth, but she put it back down.

"You mean, Adler shot Caffery when Caffery shot Adler, but Caffery didn't know that he was hit? How did Neal shoot Adler?"

"Must have stashed a gun just in case, but if Neal doesn't know and he some how escaped, he could be lying somewhere dead or dying fast. Adler got him in the chest and from the amount of blood, he must have hit an artery or something. If Neal's trapped-"

"He doesn't have long," Diana finished. The firetrucks rounded the corner and parked. Peter and Diana moved out of the way as they started doing their jobs. Peter was afraid. He had no comfort at all. Diana had gone over to talk to the other agents and Peter pulled out his phone and called El.

"Hey Hun," Peter said.

"Hey Hun. What's wrong? You sound worried. Are you okay?" Elizabeth was just the one to worry about him. Peter smiled, but it disappeared quickly.

"I'm fine, but…"

"But what? I know something is wrong. What happened? Did you get Adler?"

"Yes well, you see, ugh," Peter sighed in frustration. "Neal wandered off while we were searching warehouses and all of a sudden this warehouse blew up and we all took off running in that direction because Neal was missing and it was our best guess as to where he was. I got there first and when I turned the corner, Adler was pointing a gun at Neal. I got behind Adler and pulled my gun, but I never fired. Adler and Neal fired almost simultaneously. Adler fell and Neal was hit, but never noticed because he was in shock from shooting his former boss who was responsible for Kate's death and for Mozzie's shooting. Neal staggered a few feet back and I approached him, but the warehouse blew again and flaming debris separated us. I haven't gotten a response back or anything. I don't know if Neal made it or not," Peter finished. There was a gasp, some sniffling and a tissue blow on the other end.

"I'll tell Mozzie. He deserves to know what happened."

"If Neal survived, which I want to believe he did, then he will be at a hospital. I will call you when I get word."

"Okay. Bye Hun," El said.

"Bye Hun," Peter said back and hung up. At the Burke's residence, El broke down on the couch. She thought of Neal like a son. He was childish and often times like a little boy. He was part of the family and he may not be alive anymore. El cried as she dialed Mozzie's number and she told him through tears. Mozzie said he would be over in minutes. He was and he sat on the couch next to Elizabeth and Elizabeth went over it again. When she finished, Mozzie was as white as a sheet.

"Neal may not make it out of this one. He has conned his way out of many things, but death may not be so easily fooled."

**Who wants to know what happens? If you do, review! And let me know if you want more. I may post more or maybe not. It depends...Until next time! Or I should say; See you if there is a next time!**

**-AIC**


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